board. Reception and aftermath After a private screening for cultural and political leaders in Zagreb, a decision was made not to permit public showing of Ciguli Miguli. A brief but intense media harangue against the film followed in the Vjesnik daily newspaper, spearheaded by Frane Barbieri, Vjesnik'''s editor-in-chief, and Milutin Baltić, a high-ranking Communist Party official. Characterization of main antagonist Ivan Ivanović - whose Russian-sounding name seems to be more than just a coincidence - was not seen as a satire on Stalinism, or as a criticism of excesses of Yugoslav socialism, but rather as an all-out attack on socialist authorities. The detractors were unhappy with the oafish portrayal of Ivanović, as opposed to depiction of petty bourgeois music societies' leaders as likable slackers. One of the scenes that were particularly problematic was the one in which a music society leader agrees to have his shop nationalized, only to find it teeming with bureaucracy shortly afterwards. Lines such as "" ("Even if it's for socialism, it's too much") did not help either. Some scenes that Horvat added to the scenario during the filming in order to forestall trouble only incensed the critics further. The film reportedly angered Josip Broz Tito himself, which meant that its fate was sealed, irrespective of sympathies many high-ranking party members had for Joža Horvat. Being responsible for the scenario, Horvat bore the brunt of public criticism, to which he was not allowed to respond. Finding that he had had too much, he left the country for France, and returned to screenwriting only in the 1960s. Consequences for Marjanović's career, on the other hand, were less serious because, unlike Horvat, he was seen more as an executor. In 1953 and 1954 he proposed changes to the film in order to lift the ban, but Jadran Film was not interested. His next feature film, The Siege (1956), was not well-received, and turned out to be his last. After that, Marjanović turned to nature documentaries, a genre that brought him more accolades than his feature films.Ciguli Miguli'' was banned for 25 years, until it was quietly issued a permit for public screening on 30 April 1977. Its broadcast on national television in 1989 generated brief media interest. The film was digitally restored in 2011. See also List of banned films References External links 1952 films Political satire films Jadran Film films Yugoslav black-and-white films Films set in Yugoslavia